Republican candidate Rick Saccone has officially conceded the Pennsylvania House special election to Democrat Conor Lamb more than a week after it took place, according to The Associated Press.
Several media outlets had named Lamb the winner in the race in the days since the election, but Saccone’s campaign initially declined to concede in the traditionally red district.
Lamb tweeted Wednesday that Saccone had called him to concede the race.
“I congratulate Mr. Saccone for a close, hard-fought race & wish him the best,” Lamb said.
The Democrat defeated Saccone by about 750 votes, according to the AP.
Lamb held a lead of less than 700 votes over Saccone with all precincts reporting.
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President Trump had won the district by more than 20 points in the 2016 election and Lamb’s win is considered a good sign for Democrats hoping to retake the majority in Congress in 2018.
Democratis have pointed to the surprisingly tight race — and now Lamb’s victory — as a sign that they can run candidates and be competitive in traditionally red districts.